Finally! A Quality Pair of Headphones!
Written: Jan 28 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Ultra Light, Great Sound
Cons: May be expensive for some people
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| skadar's Full Review: Sennheiser HD-490 Consumer Headphones |
I've never had a really good set of headphones... until now. Before about a month ago, I didn't realize that headphones were such a big deal. I thought it strange that Epinions had such a large area dedicated to them... and my headphone research led me to many web sites devoted to them!
I'm about to purchase a top of the line personal MP3 player, the little known 96meg eGo from www.i2go.com. This little device is the underdog of the MP3 player world... and it's got some AMAZING specs. I've done a lot of MP3 player research, and the eGo tops them all... by far! But I digress.
Since I was outfitting myself with the latest in personal portable audio technology... I figured that I need some high quality headphones. After all, having a nice player and cheap headphones is like buying a Pentium III 700 with a GeForce graphics card... and a 13 inch monitor. I did a lot of headphone research (believe it or not) and kept reading the name Sennheiser all over the place. I found that the HD490s were in my price range (under $100) and got great reviews. The sound quality was supposed to be superb along with a low power requirement in order to successfully use them with a portable music player. And they looked pretty cool too.
So, I did some price comparison and found the lowest price with www.800.com. $79.99 with free shipping, including UPS Next Day air. I ordered them and promptly received them.
I'll tell you, I wasn't immediately impressed. I mean, I always considered headphones to be a $20 item... never more than that. So I expected some big heavy headphones for my money. The HD490s are incredibly light. In fact, they are so light that they mistakenly feel like a cheap product. I also thought from the photo that they would cup the ears... they don't. Instead, they sit on top of the ears like normal mini-headphones. I was disappointed by this until I tried them on... they are AMAZINGLY comfortable! I've been wearing them for hours on end at work, and my ears have never been sore yet.
The cord is a single wire leading from the left headphone to a mini jack. I really like the single cord... it completely eliminates the normal tangles and twisting you get with dual cords.
They sound fantastic! Sennheiser uses a unique open-air technique that keeps the back of the speaker cone open to the environment. For some reason, this really improves the quality of the sound. If you put your hands over the small mesh holes that provide this open air feature, the sound immediately becomes tinny and harsh. Remove your hands and the bass and mid-range come booming back.
Another reviewer here on Epinions claimed that the HD490s are too bassy. I haven't experienced this at all. The ranges all seem balanced to me. Because of the open air technology, these headphones are not the greatest for blocking out your music for a person sitting next to you. If you listen to music at a loud volume, expect to annoy people nearby if you are in a quiet environment like a library or even at work. I use my HD490s at work every day, but I keep the volume at medium. The open air feature may also be a plus for you because you can always hear when someone calls for you. They don't have to shout or come over and lift a headphone off your ear.
Wow, I'm rambling. In short. Great headphones. Worth the price. I can't wait to use them with my MP3 player. Recommended.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
skadar
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Location: Connecticut
Reviews written: 158
Trusted by: 168 members
About Me:
As a charter Epinions member, Skadar has contributed many trusted and highly rated reviews.
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